Check-rower



2 Sheets-Sheet I.

(Na Model.)

G. W. PACKER.

CHECK ROWER.

f (No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 G. W. PAKER.

CHECK ROWER.

Patented' July 7, 1885.

.m na., MMM mwmw. ma

ilNITEn- STATES PArnNr (irricn.

GEORGE V. PAOKER, OF ROCK FALLS, ILLINOIS.

CHECK-ROWER.

SEPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 321,449, dated July'7, 1885.

Application filed January 5, 1835.

To aZZ whom it mag/'concerm Be it known that I, GEORGE XV. PAOKER., acitizen of the United States, residing at Rock Falls, in the county ofVVhiteside and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and usefnlImprovenients in Check-Rowers; and I do hereby declare the following tobe a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as willenable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and nsethe sa1ne,1'eference being had to the aecompanying drawings, andtolet-ters and fignres of reference marked thereon. which form a part ofthis specification.

My invention has reference to check-ro wers, and pertains to certainnovel mechanism for transmitting to the seeding devices the action ofthe forls when the latter are actnated by the knotted cord or wirestretched across the field, including,` a novel method of reciprocatingthe pitman attached to the transverse bar, which extends from oneseed-hopper to the other.

As niy invention is attached in the nsnal way to any of the ordinarytwo-horse planters, the constrnetions of which are well known, I do notdeem it essential to show or describc any portion of such planters.

In the drawings,Figure 1 is a top plan View of a machine enihodyingmyinvention. Fig. 2 is a real' clevation of the central portion of thesame. Fig. 3 is an end elevation of the same. Fig. 4 is a rear elevationof the central ratchet with a portion of the eap H and cross-beam Aremoved. Fig. 5 shows the top of the ratchet G withthe top of the Cap Hrenioved, the Channels L-nnder snch ratchet being shown in dotted lines.Fig. (i shows the bottom of the ratchet G with the pitman P atthe limitof its ontstroke. Fig. 7 exhibits the same with such pitman at the limitof its instroke. Fig. 8 is'a detailed View of such pitinan and thepivoted travelers M and N which actnate it.

A is the nsnal cross-beam attached in any suitable waytransversel y ofthe planter at the seed-hoppers.

Bis the nsual knotted cord carried in the nsnal way on the gnide-pnlleysa.

Cis a fork jonrnaled Vertically at the end of the beam A in suchrelation to the cord B as to he engaged and actnated by the knotslntion.

(No model.)

thereon. The fork Cis interiorly provided at its lower end with thesegmental beVel-gear c.

D is a bell-cranklevcr pivoted horizontally at its angle on the beam A,and provided exteriorly witht-he segmental bevel-geard, which engagesand is aetnated bythe bevel-gear c on the fork O, snch level' D havingits oscillations transversely of the machine.

E is a draw-red pivoteil at its onter end to the innerarin of the leverD, and connected at its inner end to the inner end of the coiled springF, which letter is adljnstably attached at its enter end to the beam Aby means of a slotted plate,'f.

G is a rat-chct (Fig. 4) pivoted horizontally by means of a scrcw, c,passed down ward through the center of the stationary cap H, whichincloses snch ratchet. A hollow Vertical boss, h, is forined on thecenter of the top of the cap l'l. The screw c' is screwed into acorresponding thread formed in the center of the upper portion of theratchet G, and the screw c, having its head resting on the top of theboss h, revolves with the ratchet G. In the upper surface of the ratchetG and extending` to its periphery are formed the fonr eqnidistantnotches g, each of which has one Vertical end, and its lower surfacesloping thence npward to the Vertical end of the sneceeding notch g. Therod E is provided with the downwardly-projected rigi d Vertical pawlfixed in such locality on the red E as at the limit of the instroke ofthe lat-ter it will engage one of the notches g, and (lrawing againstthe Vertical end of the latter will, in its outstroke, impart to theratchet G a qnarter-revo- At this instant the fork C will be releasedfrom the knot on the cord B, and the spring F, through the medium of therod E, lever D, and beVel-gears e and (l, will throw the fork C forwardin position to be actuated by the next snceeeding knot on the cord B.The action last deseribed will also draw the pawl up the inclined bottomof the noteh g and drop it into the next snceeeding notch g in positionto give another impnlse or qnarter-revolntion to the ratchet G when thefork G shall be next actnated by the cord B.

lt will be observed that the enter or fixed end of the spring F is lowerthan the end of such spring attached to the rod E, and there- IOO forethe reaction of such spring is in a downward direction, and secures. thesuccessive engagement of its pawl i in the notches g. The inner end ofthe rod E, With which the pawl 71 is integral, is screwed onto theresidue of the rod, and by means of a thread on the latter the length ofthe rod can be altered, and the pawls z' adjusted to act to and from theproper points on the ratchet G.

The machine is of course in duplicate, so as to operate from each endalternately, and in the action from one end just described the otheractuating'parts are at rest, except that the other pawl 'i in thequarter-revolution of the ratchet G described, passes up the inclinedbottom of the opposite notch g, or rather the ratchet moves under thesecond or stationary pawl i, and at the instant that the actuating-pawlz' has ceased its draft such stationary pawl drops into the deepestportion of its next 'succeeding notch g, and thereby forms a lock tohold the ratchet G stationary while the actuating-pawl is drawn inwardand up the inclined bottom of its notch f/ to engagement with its nextsucceeding notch g. Thus the ratchet G is prevented from having anybackward revolution while the actuatingpawl i is, by its spring F, drawninward to engage its next succeeding notch g. Curved grooves h' in thetop of the cap H, through which the pawls z' downwardly project, furnishguides, respectively, for the latter.

In the lower surface of the ratchet G are formed the two groovcs orchannels L, wh extend at right angles to each other ac ich such lowerface. Such grooves are solocated in reference to the notches g as tohave their respective ends projected midway between such notches, aswill be seen in Fig. 5, wherein the position of such grooves relativc tosuch notches is exhibited in dotted lines.

M and N are travelers pivoted, as shown, on the upper surface of thepitman P, which latter is suitably connected at its outer end to theusual transverse reciprocating bar, which `connects and 'operates theseeding devices. The length of stroke can be gaged by changing therelative distance between the travelers M and N, or by interposing ashort lever between such pitman and the reciprocating bar.

In the aforesaid rotation of the ratchet G the pitman P and travelers Mand N assume the positions shown in Figs. 6 and 7, changing alternatelyfrom one of such positions to the other at each quarter-revolution ofthe ratchet G. It will be seen that this movement causes the pitman P toalternately approach to and recede from the center of such ratchet G thedistance between the pivotal points of the travelers M and N at eachquarter-revolution of such ratchet. Thus at each entire revolution ofsuch ratchet there are four movements of the pitman P and four actionsof the seeding devices.v In other words, the pitman P and seeidingdevices are actuated at each quarter-revolution of the ratchet G,whereas in the usual mode of pivoting the pitman at one point on theratchet a half-revolution of the latter is requisite to impart a fullstroke to such pit-V nian. As a short, quick stroke in dropping the seedis necessary, this feature of my invention is of great' importance. `Acircular plate, R, Fig. 4, rests on the beam A and fits into the bottomof the cap H, thus excluding the dust from the parts and furnishing asmooth base for the movement of the inner end of the pitman I). Ahorizontal slot, Z, is cut in the side of the cap H to admit the innerend of the pitman P. p

There are numerous advantages in my invention. It permits the use of aVertical fork, which is superior to a horizontal one. By locating theratchet between the spring F and fork O, .the rod E is drawn alternatelyfrom each end, and therefore a lighter rod is suffi' cient and theaction thereof more certain than where both fork and spring are at theouter end of such rod. By the use of the bevel-gear the effect ofactuating the fork is made instantaneous and certain. By locating thesprings as shown I am enabled to use the one not connected with theactuatingpawl to force the stationary pawl into the notchesg, andthereby form alock of the ratchet G (hiring the interval that the latteris stationary. By the connectionl shown of the pitman P to the ratchetG, I am enabled to give such pitman an impulse sufficient to actuate theseed devices at each quarter-revolut-ion of such ratchet and to stop thepitman after such action on the dead-point, so thatv it will of itselfremain stationary until again acted upon. The direction of therevolution of the ratchet G is indicatcd by the arrows and numeral 1 inFigs. 6 and 7. The travelers M and N traverse, in the rotation of theratchets, the respective grooves in which they are shown, each movingfrom the center outward and then inward in its particular groove at eachquarter-revolution of such ratchet, and each alternately passing intothe respective ends of its groove.

I am aware that forked Vertical arms provided with segmental'gear havebeen used to oscillate corresponding gear seated on a rockshaft; butthisconstruction is obj ectionable in requiring the exercise of greaterpower, through such arm, to overcome the inertia of such shaft, and alsoin requiring a stiff spring to return such shaft, and, usua11y,ratchetmechanisni to control such shaft, besides making the machineunnecessarily complex and eXpensive. My invention in this behalfconsists in a construction which dispenses entirely Wit-h a rockshaftand its adj unetive mechanism by meshing the gear of the actuating-arminto a second gear and attaching the draw-rod directly to such secondgear. This, I believe, has never previously been done in a constructionembodying a Vertical arm or fork.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent ofthe United States, 1s-

1. The combination of the Vertical arm or fork O, provided with gear conits shank, the

ICO

IIO

IIS

geared lever D, and the aetuating-rod E, eonneoted directly to suchlast-named gear, substantially as shown, whereby the interposition ofthe nsual roek-shaft is avoided, and the parts employed are fewer,siinpler, and more easily operated, while the advantages of a Verticalarm are retained.

2. The combination of the Vertical fork C, provided with the gear c, thelever D, provided with the gear (Z, the rod E, the spring F, the pawlfi, and the ratehet G, provided with notohes y, snbstantially as shown,and for the pnrpose speeified.

3. The combination of the Vertical fork O,

provided with the gear c, the lever D, provided with the gear d, the rodE, the spring F, the pawl '17, and the ratehet G, provided with thenotohes g, such ratohet being located between snoh spring and fork,snbstantially as shown, and for the pnrpose speoified.

4. The combination of the fork O, provided with the gear c, the lever D,provided with the gear (Z, rod E, provided with the pawl spring F,ratohet G, provided with notehes g, second rod, E, having pawl i, andthe second spring, F, wherehy the ratchet G is alternately aetnated andlooked, snbstantially as shown, and for the pnrpose deseribed.

5. The combination of the ratchet G, provided with the grooves L, thepitman P, and the travelers M and N, snbstantially as shown, and for thepnrpose mentioned.

6. The combination of the ratehet G, provided with grooves L, and thepitman P, provided with the travelers M and N, substantially as shown.

7. The combination of the pivoted ratehet G, provided with the groovesL, suitable aotuating-pawls or their eqnivalent, the pitman P,

and travelers M and N, substantially as shown, and for the pnrposedeseribed.

8. The ratehet G, provided with the notehes g, and grooves L, the latterbeing, respectively, on a line inidway of such notehes, substantially asshown.

9. The combination of the eap H, provided with slots hf, the ratohet G,provided with four eqnidistant notohes, g, the serew e, and pawl i,whereby such pawl is guided in its Operations, and eaeh ontward niotionthereof imparts a quarter-revolution to snoh ratohet,snbstantially asshown, and for the pnrpose deserihed.

10. The combination of an aetnating-fork, a reaeting spring,intermediate aetnating meehanism, and a ratehet located between suchfork and spring, wherehy the alternate action of such fork and springshall be from such ratehet, substantially as shown, and for the pnrposedeseribed.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

GEO. V7. PACKER.

YVitnesses:

WALTER N. HSKELL, GEO. B. QUIGLEY.

